A SMALL GE-TYPE WASHER, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. Of shallow square form, the washer is covered in a thick grayish-cream glaze suffused with a network of 'iron' crackle interspersed with light brown crackles.

Provenance: Old central European private collection and thence by descent within the same family to the present owner.
Condition: Good original condition with extensive glaze staining and wear, some firing irregularities, including glaze pits and recesses as well as six evenly spaced spur marks (not to be confused with pits), and wear especially to the corners, the rim with a minuscule chip.

Weight: 198.9 g
Dimensions: Width 8.8 cm, Height 3.6 cm

Ge ware, along with Guan, Ru, Ding and Jun, comprise the ‘Five Great Wares of the Song Dynasty’. The problems of distinguishing the two crackled wares, Guan, and Ge, were discussed at length during a conference held at the Shanghai Museum in 1992, and while no unanimity of opinion was reached, it was generally thought that those wares with a jinsi tiexian (‘gold thread and iron wire’) crackle should be designated Ge. See R. Scott, “Guan or Ge Ware?”, Oriental Art, Summer 1993, pp. 12-23.

Recent archaeological researchers suggest that Ge wares may have been made at kilns in Chuzhou, nearer to the center of Longquan production, or just outside the walls of the Southern Song palace at Hangzhou. Scholars agree that Ge wares display the qualities that might be expected of vessels intended for imperial appreciation.

Literature comparison: A related washer, but of circular shape and dated to the Yuan dynasty, 14th century, is in the Qing Court Collection and is published in the National Palace Museum, Precious as the Morning Star: 12th-14th Century Celadons in the Qing Court Collection, p. 275, no. IV-34.

Auction result comparison: Compare a near-identical Ge-type washer, also dated to the Ming dynasty, of identical form and size, and with a two-color crackle, at Christie’s New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 23 March 2018, lot 717, sold for USD 21,250. Compare also a small Ge-type octagonal bowl dated to the 18^th century, of closely related size and also with a two-color crackle, at Bonhams London in Asian Art on 10 May 2021, lot 76, sold for GBP 287,750. 明代哥窯小筆洗
中國，1368-1644年。淺方形，通體厚厚的米色釉，上面覆蓋著一層散佈著淺棕色開片。

來源：中歐私人收藏，在同一家族保存直至現任藏家。
品相：良好的原始狀態，有大量釉色污染和磨損，一些燒製不規則，包括釉坑和凹坑以及六個均勻分佈的釘痕（不要與坑混淆），角落磨損，邊緣有微小的碎片。

重量：198.9 克
尺寸：寬8.8 厘米, 高3.6 厘米

拍賣結果比較：幾乎一模一樣的哥窯筆洗，同樣為明代，于紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2018年3月23日lot 717, 售價USD 21,250. 另一件稍小十八世紀的哥窯碗，見倫敦邦翰思Asian Art 2021年5月10日 lot 76, 售價GBP 287,750.